68 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
evening received from the Consulate letters of yours^ from February 
to October : they are not yet all read. I have been very ill^ but it 
is over now/^ 
\_Continued by Petherick.'] 
^^My dear Kate^s excitement after receipt of our voluminous 
post yesterday at five p.m. (which kept us up until two a.m.^ and 
again was recommenced at five a.m. by candlelight) is such that, 
in her own words, I cannot write more : I am too excited ; it 
makes me ill/ So you see, dearest Mona, it is again my agreeable 
task to he your ^ pet ^ correspondent, only, I believe, now, under the 
present circumstances, hut for a very short time longer, as, thanks 
to a good, gracious, and bountiful God, poor Kate^s health is un- 
dergoing a great and decided change for the better. I thank 
you, dear Mona, from my heart for your precious letters ; Kate is 
indeed the dear, brave, matchless wife you so truly and sisterly 
describe her. 
^^The post leaves to-day, and I am anxious to proceed at once 
to Cairo, to report myself at the Consulate; you must please, 
therefore, excuse a lengthy reply to your and PeteFs welcome 
letters. Thank him, and beg him to convey heartfelt thanks to 
my invaluable friends, Mr. Macqueen and Mr. Tinne, for their 
generous and manifold services, accorded, no doubt, often at 
serious inconvenience to themselves. It will be an easy but 
highly cherished task to convince them that I was not unworthy 
of their support, during absence, in peril, and through evil and 
false report.^^ Do not expect to see us very soon, as we purpose 
remaining here some time to recruit. 
